Healed From Sin
A Sermon on Jeremiah 17:14-15
Originally preached July 10, 1955
Scripture
14Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved: for thou art my praise.
15¶ Behold, they say unto me, Where is the word of the LORD? let it come now.
Sermon Description
How does one know that they are a Christian? In this sermon on Jeremiah 17:14–15 titled “Healed From Sin,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones addresses the topic of assurance and provides tests of faith for believers to examine themselves. He elaborates that a Christian understands themselves to be not, primarily, a good person but instead a forgiven person. Moreover, the Christian knows that they do not merely do wrong things, but that the root of the issue is that they are diseased to the core and need more than moral reform in order to be free. In fact, what everyone needs is not behavioral change, but heart surgery. Additionally, they knows that they cannot do this surgery themselves; they need God to do the work in their heart. The Christian confesses that they are a sinner in need of a Savior. Therefore if one is a believer, then their only hope and boast are in God. The one who can fix the heart is the only one who is worthy of worship.
Sermon Breakdown
- The prophet Jeremiah is addressing the people of Israel with a sense of urgency. The situation has become critical and disaster is imminent unless they repent.
- Jeremiah has exhausted every method to plead with and reason with the people. In verses 14 and 15, he sums up the situation. His position is expressed in verse 14 - "Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed. Save me and I shall be saved, for thou art my praise." The people's attitude is expressed in verse 15 - "Where is the word of the Lord? Let it come now."
- Verses 14 and 15 represent the position of a believer and an unbeliever. Jeremiah shows the contrast between his position of being in touch with God and the rebellious people who reject God.
- Jeremiah was thinking primarily of the immediate calamity facing the people. But the story of Israel is a picture of God's dealing with mankind. The deliverance from Egypt illustrates Christian salvation.
- Verses 14 and 15 represent a believer who realizes his need for healing and an unbeliever who rejects God. This is the most vital question facing us - what is our relationship with God? Our response to the gospel shows whether we are Christians or not.
- The first mark of a Christian is realizing you need healing and salvation. There is no health in us. We are aware of our sin and need deliverance from sin.
- Any resentment of the doctrine of sin shows you are not a Christian. The Christian admits sin as a sickness and disease. We are not righteous but evil.
- The Christian realizes he cannot heal himself. All human methods fail. He has tried reforming himself but failed. He is helpless without God.
- The Christian believes only God can heal him. He accepts God's salvation in Jesus Christ. The cross shows our failure and need for reconciliation to God which only Christ accomplished.
- We need new life which only Christ gives. We become new creations with life and power through the Holy Spirit.
- God supplies all our needs. He never leaves us. He completes the work He began.
- The final test of a Christian is whether God alone is your praise. The Christian gives all glory to God, not himself.
Sermon Q&A
What are the Key Marks of a True Christian According to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones?
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones explains several essential characteristics that mark a true Christian in his sermon from Jeremiah 17:14-15. Here are the key marks:
What is the first and most fundamental characteristic of a Christian according to Lloyd-Jones?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, the first and most fundamental characteristic of a Christian is "that he realizes his need of healing" and "his need of salvation." A true Christian has a consciousness of sin and is aware of their diseased spiritual condition. Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that unlike those who define Christianity primarily as "living a good life," the Christian's first acknowledgment is their spiritual illness: "There is no health in us."
How does Lloyd-Jones describe the Christian's understanding of their sinful nature?
Lloyd-Jones describes the Christian as someone who realizes that sin is not merely occasional wrong actions but a deep disease within. He explains that the Christian understands "that he is guilty of sins because there is sin in him." The Christian recognizes "that he is wrong and therefore does wrong things" - understanding that "the pollution is in the fountain itself, in the sauce, in the life, in the center, in the heart."
What is the Christian's attitude toward self-help according to the sermon?
According to Lloyd-Jones, the Christian realizes "that he's utterly hopeless and helpless in the matter of healing himself." The Christian has gone beyond trying to reform themselves through moral resolutions or good activities, having discovered these efforts always fail. Lloyd-Jones quotes the hymn: "Not the labors of my hands can fulfill thy law's demands... Thou must save and thou alone."
What is the Christian's confidence in God's salvation according to Lloyd-Jones?
The Christian has "unshakable confidence" in God's ability to save and heal. As Jeremiah says, "Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed. Save me, and I shall be saved." The Christian believes that God's way of salvation through Jesus Christ is the only remedy that can bring them back to God, reconcile them, and give them new life.
How does Lloyd-Jones describe the Christian's attitude toward praise?
The Christian gives all praise, credit, and glory to God alone for salvation. Lloyd-Jones points to the phrase "for thou art my praise" as a subtle but crucial test of Christianity. The Christian doesn't "want to take a little credit" for themselves but says, "I am what I am by the grace of God" and "God forbid that I should make my birth, save in the cross of my Lord Jesus Christ."
Old Testament
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.